This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Daily Devotional Bible Reading Episode #67. Where I read three chapters of the Holy Bible in the King James Version a day with my family as a part of our family devotions, to encourage you to read the Holy Bible in a year’s time. We are using a modified version of the Five Day Bible Reading Plan. It is modified because we read the Bible everyday and not just five days a week. The benefit of using the Five Day Bible Reading Plan is: you can read the entire Bible in a chronological reading plan that helps the Bible make sense. Today we are reading Leviticus 8, Psalm 15 and Luke 18.

Warren Wiersbe said, “The world changes – circumstances change, we change – but God’s Word never changes.”

Thomas Watson said, “Highly prize the Scriptures. Can he make a proficiency in any art, who doth slight and deprecate it? Prize this book of God above all other books..”

Leviticus 8
1 And the Lord spake unto Mo’-ses, saying,

2 Take Aa’-ron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

3 And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

4 And Mo’-ses did as the Lord commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

5 And Mo’-ses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done.

6 And Mo’-ses brought Aa’-ron and his sons, and washed them with water.

7 And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the e’-phod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the e’-phod, and bound it unto him therewith.

8 And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the U’-rim and the Thum’-mim.

9 And he put the mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the Lord commanded Mo’-ses.

10 And Mo’-ses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

12 And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aa’-ron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

13 And Mo’-ses brought Aa’-ron’s sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the Lord commanded Mo’-ses.

14 And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aa’-ron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering.

15 And he slew it; and Mo’-ses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.

16 And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Mo’-ses burned it upon the altar.

17 But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord commanded Mo’-ses.

18 And he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aa’-ron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

19 And he killed it; and Mo’-ses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

20 And he cut the ram into pieces; and Mo’-ses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat.

21 And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Mo’-ses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by fire unto the Lord; as the Lord commanded Mo’-ses.

22 And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aa’-ron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

23 And he slew it; and Mo’-ses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aa’-ron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.

24 And he brought Aa’-ron’s sons, and Mo’-ses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Mo’-ses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

25 And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:

26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:

27 And he put all upon Aa’-ron’s hands, and upon his sons’ hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord.

28 And Mo’-ses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savour: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

29 And Mo’-ses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord: for of the ram of consecration it was Mo’-ses’ part; as the Lord commanded Mo’-ses.

30 And Mo’-ses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aa’-ron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons’ garments with him; and sanctified Aa’-ron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.

31 And Mo’-ses said unto Aa’-ron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aa’-ron and his sons shall eat it.

32 And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

33 And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.

34 As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.

35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.

36 So Aa’-ron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Mo’-ses.

Psalm 15
A Psalm of Da’-vid.
1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Luke 18
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Phar’-i-see, and the other a publican.

11 The Phar’-i-see stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

16 But Je’-sus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.

18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

19 And Je’-sus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

22 Now when Je’-sus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

24 And when Je’-sus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?

27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

28 Then Pe’-ter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.

29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,

30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Je-ru’-sa- em, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gen’-tiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jer’-i-cho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:

36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

37 And they told him, that Je’-sus of Naz’-a-reth passeth by.

38 And he cried, saying, Je’-sus, thou son of Da’-vid, have mercy on me.

39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of Da’-vid, have mercy on me.

40 And Je’-sus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,

41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

42 And Je’-sus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

________

PRAY
________

When I was a teenager I wanted to get wisdom and knowledge, so I set out the read the big family Bible that many families had in those days. But I couldn’t get past Genesis 2 before I got bored with reading the Bible. I found out later in life that you have to believe on Christ and get saved before you can understand the Bible. So here is how I became a Christian and how you can too:

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

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قالب وردپرس

BEAVERTON, OR – Mention “the lost” or “un-reached” to evangelist Luis Palau, and his eyes immediately light up.

Not even a fatal diagnosis can dim the glow.

It’s a visible expression of his passion for people to discover the love of Jesus, which has been his life mission over the last five decades.

Palau’s battle with stage 4 lung cancer adds a final chapter to a remarkable life story – rising out of poverty to influence presidents and popes while reaching one billion people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Palau offered the benediction at the official prayer service for President Bill Clinton’s second inauguration in 1997. He also prayed regularly with fellow Argentine Fr. Jorge Mario Bergoglio before he became Pope Francis. He called the pontiff a real friend of evangelical Christians when Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013.

Shocking Sickness

What began as a suspected lingering cold eventually forced Palau to go to the hospital. After running medical tests, doctors delivered unexpected news.

“He said, ‘It’s incurable,”‘ Palau recounted. An oncologist confirmed that he only had anywhere between nine to twelve months to live if he underwent chemotherapy. If he chose not to, the prognosis was four months.

After it was confirmed, Palau broke the news on Twitter in January 2018 with his two sons who help lead his ministry, Andrew and Kevin.

More than two years later the evangelist, has defied the odds. He turned 85 in November, a milestone neither he nor his doctors expected him to make. And according to his last public update, his cancer treatment appears to be working.

“One of the tumors actually shrank slightly!” he wrote. “I’m actually feeling quite well. And the cancer seems to be kept at bay with the current protocol.”

Setting His Own Agenda
 
At the world headquarters of the Luis Palau Association near Portland, Palau told CBN News that he’s spending what time he has left with his family.

He also authorized a biopic about his life, “Palau the Movie,” in April 2019.

A couple of months later, he published a spiritual memoir called Palau: A Life on Fire. It serves as an homage to the people who poured into his spiritual wellbeing, including his parents; his wife, Pat, his sons; and his friend and mentor, Billy Graham.

“I’ve always honored them publicly,” he explained. “But to do it in writing so that other believers will say, ‘God could use me in the life of a young fellow or young girl who feels called to evangelize.’ I could be a blessing to this person.”

A Global Mission Field

As an international evangelist, Palau’s preaching engagements have taken him across the globe – from London to the United Kingdom, China, Vietnam, the former Soviet Union, and even back to his birthplace in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Whether on the world stage or his adopted hometown of Portland, Palau employed mass rallies to drew tens of thousands to his evangelistic events. His largest single-day gathering was in Guatemala City in 1982, where 700,000 people came to hear him speak.

He preached at what was billed his last evangelistic event in Madrid in June 2019.
 
“It’s a huge blessing to Spain that he was able to go,” said Kevin Palau, his son and president, and chief executive officer of the Luis Palau Association. “But I know for him personally and for us to see him doing what he enjoys the most was incredibly life-giving.”

Luis credits the missionaries who traveled to Argentina for lighting his heart on fire to serve God and “reach the lost.”

Now, after 50 years of proclaiming the gospel in 75 countries to an estimated one billion people, he has few regrets.

A Lasting Legacy

“The only sad thing is leaving my wife and my kids and the team and a few of my best friends,” he explained. “But really, I’m ready to go. I have the peace of the Lord.”

He also told CBN News that he thinks it’s time to step aside and allow his sons to take up the ministry mantle “without relinquishing love and caring for my sons.”

“You got to make room for the next generation to freely minister – freely do,” Palau reflected as he was preparing to celebrate his 85th birthday.

“Although you think, ‘Ok, we’ve transitioned.’ Kevin is the president [and] Andrew is the better-known evangelist. But are you still in the way? And I’ve come to realize I am somewhat in the way,” he continued.

The same sparkle seen in Palau’s eyes when he discussed evangelism returned each time he talked about his children, including his two other sons Keith and Stephen.

“I used to say when people would ask me years ago, I’d say, ‘I hope my boys will put on my burial tomb: My father wasn’t perfect, but he sure loved Jesus Christ.'”

Andrew, who has followed in the footsteps of his father as an evangelist, believes Palau’s legacy is the same for the world as it is with his own family.

“He had a feeling something wasn’t right and took advantage of that moment to gather all of the grandkids, he recalled. “In light of that, [he] gave the Gospel to the grandkids in such a direct and clear way.”

“It was very moving and as a father, and as a family, we were so grateful that the children will always remember their grandfather in this way.”

A Bright Tomorrow

Cancer treatment is rigorous and often draining. Still, Luis said he sees a bright future for the church and the ministry he built.

“I love what I see in the new generation of [Christian] leadership in America, Latin America, Europe, even,” he told CBN News. “But the reason why I’m excited about the team and these fellows is first that they’re Godly. My boys are men, middle-aged men, and they walk with God.”

“They live for Christ. They live for the lost. So, that’s what gives me hope and excitement about the team and the association,” he added. “Generation after generation proclaiming the Good News.”

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قالب وردپرس

In our eagerness to make converts I am afraid we have lately been guilty of using the technique of modern salesmanship, which is of course to present only the desirable qualities in a product and ignore the rest. We go to men and offer them a cozy home on the sunny side of the hill. If they will but accept Christ He will give them peace of mind, solve their problems, prosper their business, protect their families, and keep them happy all day long. They believe us and come, and the first cold wind sends them shivering to some counselor to find out what has gone wrong; and that is the last we hear of many of them.

The teachings of Christ reveal Him to be a realist in the finest meaning of that word. Nowhere in the Gospels do we find anything visionary or overoptimistic. He told His hearers the whole truth and let them make up their minds. He might grieve over the retreating form of an inquirer who could not face up to the truth, but He never ran after him to try to win him with rosy promises. He would have men follow Him, knowing the cost, or He would let them go their ways.

All this is but to say that Christ is honest. We can trust Him. He knows that He will never be popular among the sons of Adam and He knows that His followers need not expect to be. The wind that blows in His face will be felt by all who travel with Him, and we are not intellectually honest when we try to hide that fact from them.

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The city of Edinburgh canceled a Christian conference after complaints that Larry Stockstill, a preacher from Louisiana, would be the keynote speaker.

According to Premier Christian News, Stockstill, a preacher, author and pastors’ mentor who also runs the church planting network Surge Project, was supposed to speak at the Surge Conference in June 2020. The conference is meant to help churches learn ways to grow.

Stockstill’s keynote address was titled “The Purpose and Privilege of Pastoring.”

Edinburgh received complaints about Stockstill, who has described same-sex relationships as “offensive”, “repulsive” and “deeply grievous.”

Stockstill preaches at Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The group heading the conference, Destiny Ministries and Destiny Church Glasgow will need to find another location for the conference if the group wants Stockstill to speak.

In 2018, the Church of Scotland banned Destiny Ministries from using its buildings because of the group’s “fundamentalist doctrines.”

The cancellation comes after Franklin Graham was banned from the arena and conference center Liverpool ACC.

Source: Christian Headlines

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Jim Denison is the founder and CEO of the Denison Forum, a nonprofit Christian media organization that comments on current issues through a biblical lens. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in yesterday’s Super Bowl by a score of 31 to 20. The Chiefs came back from a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter to give their beloved head coach, Andy Reid, his first NFL championship.

What about the game will be remembered long after the score is forgotten?

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is now the first quarterback in NFL history to win a Most Valuable Player award, a Super Bowl, and a Super Bowl MVP by the age of twenty-five. However, he has been known for his humility since high school.

According to his coaches, “He was always about the team, always about his teammates, always about the other person.” Mahomes has been following Jesus since coming to faith in middle school.

Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt has been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action. He says, “As a Christian, I think God has given me that platform to say, ‘Hey, I’ve allowed you to do a lot of things, and I need you to speak my Name.’”

49ers receiver Jordan Matthews became a Christian during his second year in the NFL and says “everything changed.” Another 49ers receiver, Marquise Goodwin, made headlines when he and his wife lost a premature son just hours before a game but continued to trust the Lord.

And Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt has been very public about his commitment to Christ. I was his pastor in Dallas and know personally of his family’s love for the Lord.

After the Chiefs won the AFC title, Clark said: “I want to thank the Lord for blessing us with this opportunity. The glory belongs to him.” After his team won the Super Bowl last night, he told the world: “I want to thank the Lord for blessing our family with all these incredible people who helped us bring this championship home.”

Earl Smith is the chaplain for the San Francisco 49ers. He previously served as a chaplain at California’s San Quentin State Prison, where he witnessed twelve executions and played chess with Charles Manson. He has been the 49ers’ chaplain since 1997.

Smith shares Christ by focusing on spiritual themes that connect with the players’ interests: hope, trust, and accountability. For instance, at the beginning of this season, he gave each of the players a tiny glass bottle, and with each victory, he gave the players a mustard seed to put in their bottles.

This is just one way he is planting the seed of the gospel in the soil of their souls.

“I have seen guys really grow,” he said. “I’ve seen young men who came in searching who have gone from searching to helping other men that were searching; guys mentoring the walk for others.”

Source: Christian Headlines

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John Ortberg, a popular evangelical author and megachurch pastor, betrayed a “bond of trust” by allowing a church volunteer who admitted being attracted to minors to still work with children, according to a statement from the elders at the Bay Area church he leads.

“In July of 2018, a person serving in the Menlo Church community came to John and shared in confidence an unwanted thought pattern of attraction to minors,” the church’s elder said in a statement. “The person assured, to John’s satisfaction, that the person had not acted on the attraction and sought John’s support. John believed the person and provided prayers and referrals for counseling.”

But Ortberg took no steps to bar the person from working with minors, according to the elders. He also did not talk to other staff or church members about the situation.

The church’s statement did not name the third party who brought Ortberg’s actions to the church’s attention. On Sunday (Feb. 2.), Daniel Lavery, Ortberg’s estranged son, posted a message on Twitter saying he and his wife had reported the pastor.

Lavery said that a church member had confessed having “obsessive sexual feelings about young children” for years and that they had intentionally sought out “unsupervised” positions where they could volunteer with children — including volunteer opportunities that included overnight travel. He also said that the church member told him “John Ortberg had continually encouraged this person in their unsupervised work with children.”

After speaking to the church member, Lavery said he and his wife confronted his parents about the situation. He said that John Ortberg and his wife, Nancy, were aware of the church member’s confession. He also wrote that John Ortberg defended his handling of the situation and said that their advice was dismissed — in part because both Lavery and his wife are transgender. Lavery also said that Ortberg did not know if the church member was still traveling overnight with children.

Lavery, who writes the Dear Prudence advice column for Slate.com, said that he suggested that the church member seek treatment and immediately stop volunteering with church. He also said he wrote to Ortberg and urged him to report the situation to the church’s elders. When his father did not do that, Lavery said he and his wife reported their concerns to the church board.

Following that conversation, Ortberg went on leave.

Lavery said that he did not know if the church member had ever acted on their attraction to minors.

“I have no firsthand knowledge of any criminal activity, and I have real compassion for anyone trying to treat sexual compulsions with accountability and oversight,” he wrote on Twitter. “But the situation they had created was risky, unsafe and unsustainable.”

In their statement, Menlo Church leaders say they hired an independent investigator to look into the concerns over Ortberg’s handling of the church member.

Source: Christianity Today

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Review by Philip Jenkins. Jenkins is distinguished professor of history at Baylor University. His many books include The Next Christendom: The Rise of Global Christianity (Oxford University Press) and The Great and Holy War: How World War I Became a Religious Crusade (HarperOne). The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily represent those of BCNN1.

Tom Holland’s Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World is a substantial work that makes a straightforward case. In Holland’s view, the teachings of Jesus constituted an ethical revolution that would gradually transform human consciousness, to the extent that we today find it hard to imagine credible alternative systems. When we see Christians, past or present, behaving in ways we may find abominable, in matters such as war, slavery, colonialism, or patriarchy, our disgusted attitudes must themselves be understood as products of that sweeping revolution. Without the existence of Christianity, it would not occur to us to abhor such things, whoever the perpetrators might be.

Beyond any single policy or attitude, Christianity mattered because it taught respect (or even veneration) for the poor and the oppressed. That implied the historically unprecedented exaltation of humility, forgiveness, and love. Moreover, the faith created the practical urge to offer aid and relief, to assist the poor, and (among other things) to reject infanticide. Christianity is the essential foundation of the liberal West, of democracy, and of notions of human rights. As the book’s jacket copy proclaims, “Concepts such as secularism, liberalism, science, and homosexuality are deeply rooted in a Christian seedbed. From Babylon to the Beatles, Saint Michael to #MeToo, Dominion tells the story of how Christianity transformed the world.”

These are bold claims, to which I will certainly offer some caveats. What is not debatable is the very high quality of the book as a whole, and its appeal to anyone interested in Christian history. Rather than offering a straightforward narrative, Holland tells his story through 21 vignettes, each representing a particular historical moment, which he uses to advance his larger argument. Those together constitute three distinct eras of the church: Antiquity, Christendom, and a period he calls Modernitas, extending from roughly the middle of the 17th century to the present day.

The Antiquity section begins, winningly, with some pre-Christian examples, which serve to outline the framework from which the new order would emerge. Later, for instance, we have snapshot accounts of the issues and debates arising from Mount Tabor in Bohemia in 1420, St George’s Hill in England in 1649, or the Somme battlefield of 1916. In each case, Holland takes a specific incident as a launch pad for a wide-ranging account of related movements and themes, an approach that yields surprising and provocative connections. Thus, a section on “Lyon 177” naturally begins with the Gaulish persecution of that year, and the deeds of the church Father Irenaeus, but is soon conducting the reader through the following two centuries, through pivotal figures like Origen and sects like the Donatists. Some of Holland’s biographical sketches, such as that of Catherine of Siena, are effective, moving, and memorable.

I am confident that Holland could, if he chose, have expanded any or all of these quite rich vignettes to book-length studies in their own right. A reader feeling daunted by the whole book could very profitably dip into any of these chapters as a freestanding item. Although the book assumes little previous knowledge, the more familiarity readers have with the larger field, the more they will get out of this erudite work, and it repays multiple readings. This is a seriously rewarding project, well written and consistently thoughtful, and it can be heartily recommended.

But—and obviously there is a but—I would raise some objections. Looking through the list of vignettes, we must be struck by their overwhelmingly European focus, particularly upon Western Europe, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant. From the seventh through the 18th century, for instance, all the examples fit this category. You might find that reasonable, given that, during this era, Christianity had been seriously reduced from its earlier splendors in other parts of the world, such as Central Asia. But in Egypt and across the Middle East, those other churches persisted very strongly well into the 13th century and beyond. Nor, oddly, does Holland have much of note to say about Eastern Orthodox Christians, who right up to the First World War constituted perhaps a third of the world’s Christian believers.

In noting this, I am not just pleading for a larger number of representative examples, but mainly suggesting that perhaps the Christian reality Holland stresses—this supposed Christian revolution—hit some areas of the world and not others. If, for instance, we find that churches in France or Italy saw some values as fundamentally and integrally Christian, while the churches of Egypt or Syria did not, that does undermine the idea that the tradition of Jesus and his first followers inevitably led to certain conclusions or outcomes. We can hardly argue that the Coptic or Russian churches, for instance, just failed to receive the appropriate memos. Rather, it implies that those “revolutionary” values arose from a particular constellation of circumstances that affected Christians in (Western) Europe and Euro-America, but not elsewhere. They simply were not part of the faith’s original DNA, which exposes a weak point in his argument.

Source: Christianity Today

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